Funds given towards saving the endangered Togo slippery frog from extinction

By Samuel Abuya

The Togo slippery frog, which is closely related to the family of Goliath Frogs, is exclusively found in Togo and Ghana and is listed among the critically endangered species of frogs.

However, the future for this species of Togo slippery frog looks promising with The Whitley Fund for Nature giving six finalists awards in one of the world’s top conversation awards amounts of between $50,000 to $80,000 to help conservationists around the world including those working on saving the Togo Slippery frog from the brink of extinction.

While speaking on how he finally found the slippery frog, Caleb Ofori-Boateng, one of the winners in the awards, thanked the community for playing a huge role in saving this slippery frog by donating land towards the good course.

Human activities, among them logging operations and excessive expanse, have been listed as among the top reasons of this type of frog facing extinction since their habitats are destroyed.

This species of frog is mostly found in the eastern highlands of Togo as well as the western highlands of Ghana. However, studies indicate that the population of the slippery frog in Ghana is now absolutely extinct but that is yet to be officially acknowledged.

The fast flowing streams or rivers and forests are very important because they basically form the places where the Togo slippery frog breeds there. The tadpoles are usually deposited in the streams. In some instances, researchers found out that some male species of this frog family didn’t have mating calls due to the location which plays a crucial role as far as finding a mate and consequently ensuring the species survives is concerned. The Togo slippery frogs usually have large heads and bulbous eyes and can grow to a length of up to 84mm. 

This type of frog mainly prefer living in forest lands and fast flowing rivers or streams.

Africa Global News Publication